BEIJING - An international investment and trade fair in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen in September is expected to facilitate investment flows along the Belt and Road, a key theme for this year's forum.

The China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), slated for Sept 8-11, will feature topics such as the Belt and Road Initiative, free trade zones, and Internet Plus Strategy, according to a press conference Wednesday.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, is a trade and infrastructure network that includes the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to connect Asia, Europe and Africa.

Ni Chao, vice mayor of Xiamen, revealed that over 1,000 businesses will attend the fair and some 30,000 investment projects will be offered during the four-day event.

The fair, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, aims to facilitate global investment flows through the hosting of bilateral and multilateral economic promotion activities.

The CIFIT has been held annually since 1997.